Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - The White Funnel Fleet - P & A Campbell Limited

		As stated at the start of the previous chapter, Peter and Alec Campbell are well known names to those of us of a certain age who recall the White Funnel Fleet operating in the Bristol Channel. This article is from an unknown magazine source but written by Michael J. Cornick [346] and dates from c.1960. It provides a condensed overview of the history of the company and its passenger operations in the Bristol Channel.

Ships of the Bristol Channel - The 'White Funnel' Fleet

Today, the paddle steamer is becoming almost a thing of the past, for only a few remain to operate around the coasts of Britain. The majority of these are used as pleasure boats, while a few paddle tugs and paddle ferries still ply the waterways.

The Bristol Channel has for many years been the home of famous paddle steamers - the Waverley, Devonia, Cambria and Britannia must bring back vivid memories to older people.

Today, P. & A. Campbell, Ltd. - or simply "Campbell's" - is a household word for the families of the Bristol Channel region, as indeed it has been since 1887, when the Waverley arrived from the Clyde to form the beginnings of the White Funnel Fleet.

Competition was extremely severe in those early days, but nevertheless the company grew from strength to strength, and soon another paddle boat was purchased - the Ravenswood - which stayed in service until the end of the 1954 season, a total of 63 years' service.

In 1893 came PS Westward Ho! which at that time was of a revoluntionary design. Her decks were extended from bow to stern and she was the most comfortable and best fitted ship afloat of that type.

the years around the turn of the century, competition grew to an even greater extent. The Barry Railway Company, who operated two paddle steamers joined forces with the Barry and Bristol Channel Steamship Company, to form the Red Funnel Fleet.

These steamers sailed from pier to pier along with the White Funnel Fleet at the fastest